Cubs News: Fret not, the team will pick up Anthony Rizzo’s option

It’s a safe bet to assume we’ll see Anthony Rizzo back with the Cubs in 2021.

In the days since the Chicago Cubs made another early exit from the postseason, fans have experienced a pretty wide-ranging set of emotions, including (but not limited to) frustration, anger, sadness and disappointment.

We’ve also begun to really grapple the issues facing the North Siders this offseason.

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You know the entire organizational budget (including player payroll) will be under the knife, similarly to how the front office was gutted in a series of cost-cutting moves prompted by COVID-19 during the season. For the third consecutive year, an unpredictable offense cost the Cubs dearly and, now, we’re one year away from losing four major pieces of the club to free agency.

Add in the fact Jon Lester may have thrown his last pitch for the organization and the team needs to find (potentially) three new starters before camp breaks next spring and the outlook is pretty bleak for folks.

But we’re here to focus on a bright spot when looking toward 2021 – the Cubs will almost undoubtedly exercise their final team option on Anthony Rizzo‘s contract to keep him for one more season.

This wasn’t the year Rizzo wanted to see at the dish. He, like most of his teammates, struggled offensively – hitting just .222 in the abbreviated campaign. His on-base and slugging numbers buoyed his OPS+ to a 103, just above league average this year.

“When you come up short-handed, it’s a bad feeling,” Rizzo said after his team was eliminated on Friday afternoon. “You’ve got guys in this clubhouse you’ll never be teammates with again. You’ve got friends in this clubhouse that you’ll never see, or you’ll see from afar. The end of the year is never easy.”

Now, there are some guys – like Kris Bryant and Javier Baez – who are under fire from Cubs fans for their performances this year. Bryant battled a myriad of injuries and Baez flat-out didn’t perform in the fan-less environment. For whatever reason, those two seem to have a much shorter leash than Rizzo.

That likely stems back to his role in the clubhouse. He’s the undisputed leader of the team – and has been for some time. He’s the final carryover from the pre-World Series team and you can’t say enough about what he’s done for the club both on and off the field.

For years, we’ve clamored for him to get the captain label. Maybe that’s in store should the two sides agree to a new contract to help him finish his career in Cubbie blue. But even if that doesn’t happen, for all the reasons stated above – he’ll back back at least one more time, looking to get Chicago back on track in 2021.